Rubber spring shackle



May 13, 1930. H. D. GEYER 1,758,107

RUBBER S THING SHACKLE original Filed May 18, 1926 as o ,22 l l 1 '32 Q -/5 l lll furor: mz q Patented May `13, 1930 uurlsoA STATES- PATENT oFFjlcE HARVEY D. ema, or-lnAr'roN, omo, Assrenon To THE INLAND, MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or DAYTON, omo, A conronA'rroN or nnLAwAnnl RUBBER. l srnmof snAcxLn Application led Hay 18, 1928, SerialNo. 109,980. Renewed September-27, 1929.

This invention relates to coupling members,

especially such asare used asspring shacklesv on vehicles.

An object of this invention isto .provide an' improved forml of rubberA spring shackle wherein all movement'is taken 'up by internal distortion of the rubber members, thereby avoiding the necessity of lubrication.

Another object is toV provide such a shackle which can be very .economically manufactured and easily assembled uponthelvehicle, 4

and which will not'require special or costly forms of spring ends orchassis frame mem bers for the proper` attachment of the shackle thereto.

A more specific 'object is to provide. such a shackle which is made up largely of metal stam ingsv which requirenomachining,V

there y greatly reducing the cost of manufacture. v f

present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, wherein. a preferred form of em odiment of the present invention is clearly shown. f In the drawings:

Fig-1 is a view on line l-lof Fig. 2 show- -ing an automobile spring shackle made according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional'view on vation.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-f-3 of Flg. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one' of the stamped metal side links of the shackle..y Similar reference.l characters refer to similar parts' throu hout the several views.

' i' Numeral 10 esignates the end of the long vside channel 120i the chassis frame.

The flange 11 has aneye 13 referably'rec tangularin cross section, rigi y fixed thereto by the bolt'14I having a square fiat head 15. Preferably the'eye 1'3 is 'formed from flat and spot welded: together.. suitable recess is provided forthesquarehead 15v 'of bolt 14 in A,order to prevent possibility ofthe bolt turning when the nut 17 is turned'to rigidly Further objects and advantages lof the line 2-*2l ofl Fig. 1, portion however being shown in ele--l springv leaf, and 11 is the lower flange of the` metal, thejends y16 thereof being overlapped" ix the teyetothe/flange. 11. rectangular section rubber block 20,.having a metal insert 21 molded in place therein, is molded in the metal eye 13 with the bolt 14 inserted in place. This rubber block 20 extends laterally on both sides beyond the ends of the. eye' l13 and preferably has its two projecting ends 22 encased in thin metal caps 23, whichv caps are preferably .also molded in place on the rubber block 20. These caps 23 are slightly tapered, as clearlyshown, and are provided with iared ianges 24 which oppose the corresponding iiared langes 25 on the ends of the eyes l l When the rubber block 20 'is set up in the'vulcanizing mold'the metal parts 13, 14,. .21 and 23' are -held fixed in their proper rela# tive. positions in the mold, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. lThe 4two caps 23 are spaced in the mold somewhat further from the ilanges 25 of the eye 13 than as shown in the assembled shackle in Figs. 2`

and 3.". Suitable' core members are inserted 'snugly between the spaced flanges 24 and 25 `to a depth approximatelyl equal to the widthof these ianges in order: to properly confine the rubber during vulcanization, as will bev readily understood by those skilled in the'art.

Then when these core'members are removed y after the vulcanization of Vthe rubber, there .Will be a corresponding groove in the molded' block 2O somewhat as indicated by the dot and vdash lines 26 in Fig. 2,' though, fas stated Y A rubber and metal unit identical'with that above described is also fixed-to `the s ring end 10, the same reference characters used to indicate corresponding parte in ,both

the upper and lower units. Y

Two identical side links' 30, a perspective view of which is shown in Fig. 4, are clamyed er .upon the projecting ends 22 of the rub blocks 20' byl means of the cross boltl. These side links 30 are shown as stampede-'ibut .ing

maaier from dat metal. The drawn tapered recesses 32 therein snugly house the metal caps 23, as shown in Fig. 2', and are provided with flared flanges 33 which backv up the thin metal ianges 24. The lateral flanges 311 of the stamping are turned back against the sides of the recessesl 32, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 1i, to reinforce the` same. lreferably7 these fianges 34 have tongues 35 which are turned downwardly in between the recesses 32, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 andfi, the inner ends 36 of these tongues being so positioned that they will be clamped under the nut 34 or head 38 of bolt 31. By this construction the side links 30 can be made very rigid and strong and since they are pressed out from dat metal they can be very economically manufactured.

in operation, the load of the vehicle is transmitted from the upper eye 13 fixed to the frame member 12 through the' central Aportion of the rubber block 20 to the metal bar 21, thence from the ends of the bar 21 back through the end portions 22 of the rubber block to the upper ends 32 of the two side links 3Q. The load is transmitted from the lower ends 32 of the links 30 to the lower eye 13 fixed to the spring 10 in the same manner as above described. When the spring 10 is elongated bydeflection causing the shackle to swing, the side links 30 are permitted to pivot at each end thereof substantially about the axes of the metal bars 21 by the internal twisting of the rubber block 20. The bars 21 are rotated through a small angle and this distributes the twist of the rubber block throughout its entire length, thus reducing the angle of' twist to which the end portions 22 of the rubber block 20 would otherwise be subjected. The rubber bulges outwardly between the flanges 24 and 25 as shown at 27 when the side links 30 are drawn to position by tightening nut 37 of bolt 31. These bulges 27 therefore are not bonded to the metal of the flared danges 24: and 25 and hence when flanges 24 and 25 rotate relative to one another the rubber may slightly separate from the ange at the four corner portions thereof. This will greatly reduce the amount of distortion on the rubber between the flanges 24 and 25 and permit it to have a long` lire.

rFliese bulges 27 however so fili up the space between flanges 24 and 25 as to prevent dirt, water, mud, etc., from working down between the rubber and the ,metal parts and thereby causing rapid deterioration of the rubber.

lin Fig. 2 of the drawing the edge of lower Hangs 11 of the frame member 12 is shown bent downwardly at 40 into the groove 41 extending across the top of the eye 13. The engagement of this downwardly turned edge 40 with the eye 13 positively prevents any possibility of the shackle turning, relatively to the frame member 12 or spring 10 about a vertical. throngh the center "f1 The metal bars 21 pre horizontal dimension 'th in order to provide a relatively ing area for transmitting the load be the rubber block and bars 21.

While the form or" embodiment of the prosent invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that e; other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope ofthe claims which fellow..

`What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination with a spring and fr member of a vehicle, a shackle comprisin an eye member fixed to the spring, a seco? eye member fixed to the frame member, i flexible rubber block non-rotatably retained in each of said eyes and having the ends thereof1 projecting laterally beyond the eyes, an isolated metal insert in each of said blocks, and a metal side link interconnecting the projecting ends of the 'two rubber blocks on each side of said eyes.

2. 1n combination with a spring and frame se member of a vehicle, a shackle comprising: an eye member fixed to the spring, a seconc eye member fixed to the frame member, a flexible rubber block non-rotatably retained in each of said eyes and having the ends a5 thereof projecting laterally beyond the eyes, an isolated metal insert in each of said blocks, and a metal side link non-rotatably retained upon the periphery of each of the two projecting ends of the two rubber blocks on loo each side of said eyes.

3. In combination with a spring and frame member of a vehicle, a shackle comprising: an eye member fixed to the spring, a second eye member fixed to the frame member, a i flexible rubber block non-rotatably retained in each o'1` said eyes and having the ends thereof projecting laterally beyond the eyes, an isolated metal insert in each of said blocks, and a metal side link clamped upon the protic jecting ends of the two rubber blocks on each side 'or said eyes.

fr. fn combination with a spring and frame member of a vehicle, a shackle comprising: an eye member fixed to the spring, a second eye member fixed to the frame member, a dexible rubber block non-rotatably retained in each of said eyes and having the ends thereof projecting laterally beyond the eyes, an isolated metal insert in each of said blocks, and a metal side link on each side of said eyes, each link having two sockets confining the projecting ends of the two rubber blocks.

5. ln combination with a spring and frame member of a vehicle, a shackle comprising: an' eye member fixed to the spring, a second eye member fixed to the frame member, a flexible rubber block non-rotatably retained in each of said eyes and having the ends thereof projecting laterally beyond the eyes,

an isolated metal insert in each of said blocks, and a metal side link on each side of said eyes, each link having two sockets confining the projecting ends of the two rubber blocks, and a cross member interconnecting salid side links for holding said side links in p ace.

6. In combination with a spring and frame member of a vehicle, a shackle comprising: an eye member fixed to the spring, a second eye member fixed to the frame member, a

flexible rubber block non-rotatably retained in each of said eyes and having the ends thereof projecting laterally beyond the eyes, an isolated metal insert in each of said blocks extending laterally beyond the eye members, and a metal side link on each side of said eye members interconnecting the projecting ends of the two rubber blocks on each side.

7. In combination with a spring member and frame member of a vehicle, a coupling interconnecting said members comprising: a flexible rubber block having the periphery of its central portion fixed to said spring, a second flexible rubber block having the periphery of its central portion fixed to said frame, and a metal side link on each side interconnecting the end portions of the two rubber blocks.

8. In combination with a spring member and frame member of a vehicle, a coupling interconnecting said members comprising: a exible rubber block having the periphery of its central portion fixed to said spring, a second flexible rubber block having the periphery of its central portion fixed to said frame, and a metal side link on each side interconnecting the end portions of the two rubber blocks, said side links having recesses for receiving said end portions, and, means for urging said side links upon said end portions whereby said rubber blocks are put under compression. Y

9. In combination with two relatively movable members, a coupling interconnecting said members comprising: two metal sleeves' adapted to be rigidly fixed in parallel relation one to each of said relatively movable members, an elastic rubber block having a metal insert molded therein retained in place within each of said sleeves and projecting laterally beyond the ends of said sleeves, and two metal side links each having cupped ends for receivin the laterally proj ect-ing portions of said ruber blocks, and a cross bolt for clamping said side links laterally upon said rubber blocks.

10. In combination with two relativelyl within each of said sleeves, and a metal side link on each side of said coupling, each link 1l. In combination with two relatively os-u cillatable members, a coupling inter-connecting said members, comprising: an eye member rigid with each of said two oscillatable members, a unit comprising a metal bar encased in flexible rubber material passing axially through and retained within each of said eyes and projecting beyond said eyes, and a metal side link inter-connecting the two projecting ends of said units on each side of said eyes.

l2. In combination with two relatively 0scillatable members, a coupling inter-connecting said members, comprising: an eye member rigid with each of said two oscillatable members, a unit comprising a metal bar encased in flexible rubber material passing axially through and retained within each of said eyes and projecting beyond said eyes, and a metal side link oneach side of said eyes, each link having two sockets confining the projecting ends of said units, and means holding said side links forced axially toward each other and maintaining said unlts under axial compression.

13. In combination with two relatively oscillatable members, a couplinginter-connect- -ing said members, comprising: an eye inember rigid with each of said two oscillatable members, a unit comprising a metal bar encased in flexible rubber material passing axially through and retained within each of said eyes and projecting beyond said eyes, a

metal side link on each side ofsaid eyes, each link having two sockets confining the projecting ends of said units, and a cross member holding said side links forced axially upon said units and maintaining the rubber material under axial compression.

In testimony whereof I hereto ax my signature. HARVEY D. GEYER. 

